35 Fun Places to Enjoy Summer Vacation in Hampton Roads

Summer vacation never gets dull when you live in Hampton Roads! Luckily, our area offers many adventures for the whole family to experience together. Hampton Roads offers city parks, interactive museums, colonial education, as well as much more! Safety is our number one concern here at Rutter Mills, so we want you to text or call us whenever you need assistance. Our lines are open 24/7 at 757-622-5000. Enjoy our town!

Virginia Beach:

The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

Location: 717 General Booth Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.

Does your family have an interest in water based plants and animals. Well this aquarium is the place for you! They offer many interactive water habitats and educational movies for the whole family to learn more about animal conservation.

Grommet Island Park

Location: 100 2nd Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.

Highlights: This 15,000 square foot beach park features wheelchair accessible entrances and an incredible playground that includes poured-in-place surfacing, raised sand tables for sandcastle building at an accessible height, a sensory board for children who are autistic and visually impaired, and a sway boat. The playground also boasts sculptural features such as dolphins, a surfboard, and a wave that are all fully accessible for children to pretend to ride the waves and swim with the dolphins. Wood polymer decking extends from the playground to accessible seating areas with an umbrella and hand-operated sand scoop designed to be used by a person in a wheelchair, allowing everybody to play in the sand. ​

Francis Land House

Location: 3131 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23452.

Highlights: The Francis Land House, or Rose Hall, is a historic brick house in located within the Rose Hall District near Princess Anne Plaza in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The historic Francis Land House was once surrounded by hundreds of acres of farmland. It served as the home of Francis Land VI, a wealthy plantation owner from a prominent family in Princess Anne County, Virginia. While the architecture of the house is Georgian, the interior style is Federal. The house is furnished with a mix of period antiques and reproductions to interpret the period that Francis Land VI and his wives and daughters were in residence, circa 1805-1819. Tours of the Francis Land House consider plantation life; the roles of the household members, both free and enslaved; Federal style; and ways that the formation of the new nation affected private lives. Tour guides also discuss the colorful history of the house in the 20th century, when it functioned as the Rose Hall Dress Shop.

Bayville Farms Park

Location: 4132 First Ct Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455.

Highlights: Bayville Farms Park is a 68-acre park established in 1978 through the cooperative efforts of the City of Virginia Beach, the National Park Service, and Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation. Of special interest is the disc golf course, the first such course in Virginia Beach.​

Mount Trashmore Park

Location: 583 Atlantic Avenue, Fort Story, VA 23459.

Highlights: World-renowned Mount Trashmore Park encompasses 165 acres and is comprised of two man-made mountains, two lakes, two playgrounds, a skate park and vert ramp, and multi-use paths. The main mountain, ​Mount Trashmore, now 60 feet in height and 800 feet long, was created by compacting layers of solid waste and clean soil. Recognized for its environmental feat, this former land fill features a water-wise garden that boasts xeriscaping which requires minimal water. The park also features a smaller mountain, Encore Hill, and two lakes. Lake Windsor (located along South Blvd.) is brackish water fed by Thalia Creek. Lake Trashmore (located along Edwin Drive) is freshwater and hosts various species of fish.

First Landing State Park

Location: 2500 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.

This park shows visitors where Native Americans canoed, where colonial settlers navigated to the land and where pirates and military ships were docked during the War of 1812. This experience is like no other, the park is stretched upon 20 miles of trails and offers lagoons and forests to explore. Stay the night with your family and camp in one of the services cabins on the land.

Norfolk:

The Virginia Zoo

Location: 3500 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23504.

Lions, tigers and bear, oh my! The Virginia Zoo offers over 500 animals spread throughout their aquarium facility and land environments catered to each animal. Learn how habitats are maintained and created in order to make every animal feel at home.

Nauticus

Location: 1 Waterside Drive, Norfolk, VA 23510.

Highlights: Nauticus is a maritime-themed science center and museum located on the downtown waterfront in Norfolk, Virginia, also known as the National Maritime Center. Open daily from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM from Memorial Day until Labor Day.

Hermitage Museum and Gardens

Location: 7637 N Shore Road, Norfolk, VA 23505.

Highlights: Historic home & picturesque gardens offering a fine art collection, professional program & classes. The Hermitage Museum & Gardens, formerly home to the Sloane family, is an early 20th century Arts-and-Crafts estate located on the shore of the Lafayette River in Norfolk, Virginia. The Hermitage features a nationally recognized art collection spanning 5,000 years, contemporary exhibition galleries, a Visual Arts Studio, and 12 acres of gardens and grounds that offer art and culture to the community, as envisioned by the Sloanes.

Norfolk Botanical Garden

Location: 6700 Azalea Garden Road, Norfolk, VA 23518.

Highlights: Norfolk Botanical Garden is a non-profit museum for plants and our mission is to enrich life by promoting the enjoyment of plants and the environment through beautiful gardens and educational programs.

Newport News:

Huntington Park

Location: 5500 W. Mercury Boulevard, Newport News, VA 23607.

Highlights: Huntington Park is a park located in Newport News, Virginia, USA. It offers a beach, two fishing piers, gardens, tennis, and museums. It is run by the Newport News Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

Peninsula Fine Arts Center

Highlights: The Peninsula Fine Arts Center is the Virginia Peninsula’s community resource and social hub for the visual arts. Discover the ever-changing world of art at the Peninsula Fine Arts Center, where diverse artworks and dynamic exhibitions are just part of the fun. Children can create personal masterpieces in the interactive Hands On For Kids gallery, while adults can find original works by local artists in The Gallery Shop. Regular gallery talks and one-day workshops enhance the visitor’s experience. Special events and evening programs are held year-round. Parking is free.

Riverview Farm Park

Location: Riverview Parkway, Newport News, VA 23602.

Highlights: Riverview Farm Park is home to the Fantasy Farm Playground, a 30,000 square foot community playground in an open area. Picnic areas and restrooms are conveniently located near the playground and soccer field. Riverview Farm Park is the home of the City’s first Dog Park- Fido Field. The park is also home to the Grin & Grow Learning Garden. Use of the family sized picnic shelters is first come-first served. The large barn shaped shelter, which is situated in the middle of the playground, is for general public use. The three large shelters on the side of the parking lot can be reserved: call (757) 888-3333 or reserve this picnic shelter on-line. A concession stand is open Saturdays (10am-5pm) and Sundays (Noon – 5pm) April through October. Skate Park-A 3,100 square foot, modular skate park is located inside Riverview Farm Park . It consists of 2 quarter pipes, 2 bank ramps, 2 grind rails and 2 wedge flats. Registration and a permit sticker are required. All users must wear a registration sticker on their helmet while in the skate park. For registration information call the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism at 926-1400 or 888-3333. Another attraction at Riverview Farm Park is the two miles of paved multi-use trails surrounding the playground and soccer fields. In addition, a trail leading from the Riverview Farm Park Visitor Center (located at the end of City Farm Road) to the shore of the Warwick River also provides a beautiful setting for a leisurely walk. The Visitor Center is currently available (by reservation) throughout the week for groups requesting special interpretive programs.For more information about Riverview Farm Park or other city parks, call 757- 886-7912..

Hampton:

Virginia Air and Space Center

Location: 600 Settlers Landing Road, Hampton, VA 23669.

Highlights: The Virginia Air and Space Center is a museum and educational facility in Hampton, Virginia that also serves as the visitors center for NASA’s Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base.

Fort Monroe

Location: 20 Ingalls Road, Fort Monroe, VA 23651.

Highlights: Fort Monroe is a decommissioned military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula. Fort Monroe is a wonderful place to visit! If you are a history buff, nature lover or simply looking for a good meal, a day at Fort Monroe is unlike any other. At the Casemate Museum you can explore the history of the Fort, dating back to Captain Christopher Newport’s exploration of the Chesapeake Bay in 1607. If you want to be outdoors, you can enjoy a stroll along the beautiful nature trails or the beaches along the Bay. Fort Monroe is also home to a full-service marina and year-round fishing. Grab a bite to eat at one of the Historic Chamberlin’s waterfront dining options. Round out your day by catching one of the wonderful events at Fort Monroe, such as the summer concert series.

Casemate Museum of Fort Monroe

Location: 20 Bernard Road, Hampton, VA 23651.

Highlights: Museum chronicling Fort Monroe’s colonial roots & its military role from the 19th century onward. Completed in 1834, Fort Monroe was originally designed to protect the Hampton Roads waterway from an enemy attack and is the largest stone fort in America. Within the fort is the Casemate Museum, which chronicles the military history of Fort Monroe from the construction of Fort Algernourne, the first defensive fortification at the site in 1609, through the last major command to be headquartered at Fort Monroe, the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command. The museum features the room where Jefferson Davis was held briefly as prisoner following the American Civil War, highlights the 1861 “Contraband of War” decision that granted three enslaved men, and thousands who followed, sanctuary at Fort Monroe, earning it the nickname “Freedom’s Fortress.” The museum also features the casemate where Jefferson Davis was held briefly as prisoner following the American Civil War and tells the history of the US Army Coast Artillery Corps.

Bluebird Gap Farm

Location: 60 Pine Chapel Road, Hampton, VA 23666.

Highlights: Bluebird Gap Farm offers an exciting, family-oriented adventure and educational experience rarely seen in an urban environment. The 60-acre farm has around 150 domestic and wild animals. We have the usual farm animals such as horses, cows, pigs, goats, and chickens. We are also home to birds of prey, whitetail deer, llamas, alpacas, tortoises, peacocks, rabbits, and waterfowl! Offers regular family programs and free admission. Seasonal special events and story times.

Air Power Park

Location: 413 W. Mercury Boulevard, Hampton, VA 23666.

Highlights: The Air Power Park is an outdoor, roadside museum in Hampton, Virginia which recognizes Hampton’s role in America’s early space exploration and aircraft testing. The outdoor park is open year-round, seven days a week from sunrise to sunset.

Sandy Bottom Nature Park

Location: 1255 Big Bethel Road, Hampton, VA 23666.

Highlights: Hampton’s premier park is a 456-acre environmental education and wildlife management facility. Born from borrow pits and garbage dumps, the park is truly a success story of reclamation of our natural resources. From the 10,000 square foot nature center overlooking Sandy Bottom Lake to the elusive creatures that inhabit the wetland marshes, there is something for everyone at Sandy Bottom Nature Park.

Chesapeake:

Chesapeake Arboretum

Location: 624 Oak Grove Road, Chesapeake, VA 23320.

Highlights: The Chesapeake Arboretum is located in the heart of Chesapeake and is a 48-acre “Nature’s Classroom” that promotes horticultural and environmental awareness through displays, education and research. Dedicated at its current site in November 1996, it boasts one of Virginia’s finest trail systems that wanders through a mature hardwood forest with many varieties of trees and plants.

Chesapeake Planetarium

Location: 312 Cedar Road, Chesapeake, VA 23322.

Highlights: On Thursday nights at 8:00 PM, the general public is invited to attend free programs. These programs are provided as a free service of the Chesapeake Public School System. Topics for these programs change every month and are educational in nature. They are designed to give the individual a general overview of astronomy. * It is recommended that children below the first grade level not be admitted to the planetarium chamber. All quiet children are welcome.

Portsmouth:

Children’s Museum of Virginia

Location: 221 High Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704.

Highlights: The Children’s Museum of Virginia is the largest children’s museum in the state of Virginia. The Children’s Museum of Virginia is a place where families and caregivers with children ages 1-11 are encouraged to imagine, explore, and discover together through play. Children step inside a world where bubbles grow bigger than they are, where the forces of energy electrify and spark their imagination, where they can be a farmer, a banker, a scientist, a star gazer and more!

Williamsburg:

Colonial Williamsburg

Location: 1 Visitor Center Drive, Williamsburg, VA 23185.

You will never want to leave once you step foot onto this colonial land. Enjoy taking a step back in time and experiencing what it was like to live in the 18th century. Really embrace the time and stay the night at an official Colonial themed hotel.

Veterans Park (formerly Mid County Park)

Location: 3793 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg, VA 23188.

Highlights: Veterans Park, formerly Mid County Park, is home to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial monument donated by local resident David Hooker in 1993 to honor residents who gave their lives in the Vietnam War. The 19-acre park is also home to Kidsburg, a 30,000-square-foot lighted playground that features separate play areas for children ages 2-5 and 5-12, a ship replica, swing areas and a zip line. Other park amenities include a 0.6-mile paved ADA accessible multiuse trail, sand volleyball courts, lighted basketball courts and tennis/pickleball courts, wi-fi connectivity and lots of open space.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum and 4D Theater

Location: 1735 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185.

This museum and 4D theater gives visitors a unique thrill with it’s extraordinary exhibits and activities. Explore the Impossible Laser Race, the Vortex Tunnel and 3D / 4D films on their 5o inch screen with sensory experience. The kids will be begging to go back!

Jamestown & Yorktown:

Historic Jamestowne

Location: 1368 Colonial Parkway, Jamestown, VA 23081.

By visiting Jamestown Rediscovered you and the whole family will be immersed in colonial history. Catch a look at the two million artifacts uncovered since 1994, visit the 1907 Memorial Church, experience lunch at the historic Dale House Cafe and walk through houses in which colonials lived in in the 17th century. Take a tour through James Fort with an archaeologist to answer all of your questions.

Watermen’s Museum

Location: 309 Water Street, Yorktown, VA 23690.

Highlights: Located on the Yorktown, Virginia waterfront just upriver from the Riverwalk shopping and dining area, the Watermen’s Museum is the perfect addition to your Historic Triangle visit. Their mission is to demonstrate the role Chesapeake Bay Watermen, from pre-colonial to modern times, have played in the shaping of our nation. This museum provides a historical display of exhibits, crafts and methods of their trade, and a look into their lives. The Watermen’s Museum offers school and civic groups educational field trips and we conduct summer children’s programs, such as Archaeology, Boatbuilding, Nature Explorer, and Pirate programs. We also have a volunteer team that operates our Chesapeake Bay boat building program, constructing and refurbishing boats ranging from a two-person skiff to a colonial gunboat being built on our beach.